CPA expresses "continued frustration" over master fixtures

October 13, 2017

Declan Brennan and Michael Briody of the CPA

The Club Players' Association (CPA) remains frustrated with the GAA over the lack of progress to finalise a master fixture plan for 2018.

Following on from a 90-minute meeting with the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) on Tuesday night which involved "meaningful engagement and debate from both sides on the issue", the CPA released the following statement:

"The CPA, represented by chairman Micheál Briody, treasurer Anthony Moyles and fixture coordinators Derek Kavanagh and Liam Griffin, met with the 10 members of the CCCC in Croke Park on Tuesday last. This was a one-off meeting afforded to the CPA to allow them to make representations to the CCCC in advance of them finalising the Master Fixture Plan for 2018.

"At the meeting, we outlined our continued frustrations at the incremental changes being implemented firstly at Congress in February and subsequently at Special Congress last month without reference first to a Master Plan. We accept that we are where we are now, despite having highlighted this throughout the year.

"We asked CCCC that a number of features are incorporated in the Master Fixture Plan, as follows:

· Designated periods of club time for all 32 counties at the same time

· The month of April to be a dedicated Club Month to avoid possible 10/11 Month gaps from one Championship game to another for club players

· An overall Central Fixtures Control System to be established to govern county boards

· All National Inter County and Club Competitions to be completed within the Calendar Year.

· The Month of December to be free of all Inter County and Club activities.

· Certainty of dates for all club players of when they are playing and when they are not

"The hour-and-a-half long meeting involved meaningful engagement and debate from both sides on all issues. The CCCC promised to take our pleas into consideration and although they said it was not possible for us to see a draft of the Master Fixture Plan before it was finalised, we wished them well in getting a satisfactory Master Fixture Plan for Club and County.

"The CPA will now be drawing up motions to bring to Congress in 2018 and we will be reaching out to our grassroot members to get them voted through clubs at upcoming AGMs and County Conventions.

"We believe that players and club officials need to be proactive in influencing their county boards, that county boards need help and direction from the GAA centrally where necessary and that those county boards that conduct their affairs in a positive fashion should be used as a positive example to others.

"We look forward to engagement with the CCCC in the future as necessary, and we believe that open discussion with all groups in the GAA can only improve the association for all its members.

"We look forward with interest and anticipation to the publication of the Master Fixture Plan for 2018."

Join us on Sunday for our Live Match Tracker with minute-by-minute updates from eighteen county finals plus Kilcoo versus Slaughtneil.